We have all been so tired we hardly knew where or who we were. Hopefully this is the result of a really fun-filled night that went on way too long before a work day rather than a result of chronic insomnia.
Sleep is boring but a very important part of a healthy life and has been the subject of many a medical study. Sleep can be a valuable process as much as a necessity or it can also lead us to a fatal injury. Sleep depravation is real and an ugly thing that can turn into a very serious issue. It is never more deadly then when it strikes a person behind the wheel of a car or especially behind the wheel of a massive eight-wheeler. One seriously exposed industry is auto shipping.
Regularly relying on truck drivers to travel long distances in short and efficient periods of time, the auto shipping industry is an area of expertise that is very susceptible to the drawbacks of combating sleep schedules and the safety concerns that follow. Driving is already a very sensitive task and mixing long hours with this type of work function can have devastating effects. The more we learn about the sleep laws of the road, and review details of sleep as related to truck driving, the more conscience we should become about some of the perils we may face when shipping vehicles.
Hopefully the more we know, the more willing we will be to abide by the laws and to support the auto shipping companies that are making a conceded effort to keep our roadways free of danger. Let’s take a look at who created some of the laws and a few of the methods used to prevent harm.
State highways, county highways, United States highways and interstate highways all have the same rules regarding sleep while working and driving as a truck driver and vehicle transporter. The governing body of these laws is The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration who is responsible for deciding driving hours and conditions for truckers involved in interstate commerce. All auto shipping companies should at least be aware of these guidelines as they almost always pertain directly to there business goals.
The Motor Carrier Safety Administration partners with both the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies and the National Institute for Occupational Safety to conduct a multitude of scientific and in-depth statistical studies regarding fatigue and the effects of sleep in conjunction with occupational driving. The resulting information has been used to create what the administration refers to as Hours of Service (HOS) regulations.
It is important to note that there are two sets of rules. One pertaining to passenger carrying vehicles and one directed towards property moving trucks. Auto shippers must abide by the more stringent property based regulations. Dissecting and reviewing these laws will help auto shippers do a better job, become more alert within their work environments and may even help save lives.
Auto shipping drivers and companies to avoid breaking any laws must abide by certain rules of sleep. The basics of these rules dictate that drivers may be on the road a total of 11 hours without rest only after 10 straight hours of being completely off the clock. The rules also state that drivers cannot drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour on the job and may return to work only after 10 consecutive hours of idle time. Other guidelines are that drivers who log a 60 hour-7 day work week or a 70 hour-8 day driving schedule must then take 34 hours of rest before starting out again. Lastly, drivers sleeping in berths in their trucks must take eight consecutive hours in that sleeper cabin along with a separate two consecutive hours either in the sleeper berth, off duty, or a combination of the two before continuing their driving.
It is mandated that this schedule be tracked via trucker logs and journals and on-board computer devices. Bits of the compiled daily data might include truck number, the name of the vehicle carrier and the mail office address, date and time, total miles driven in a 24-hour period, name of the co-driver, shipping document numbers and driver’s signature swearing that all entries are true.
All of this is closely observed. Fatigue can be the most dangerous of auto shippers’ enemies. Because of the severity of the possible results of operating a large motor vehicle in a compromised state, auto transporters must be ever alert and continue the fight against the very real disasters caused by falling asleep at the wheel.
To read more about Auto Transport or Auto Shipping please visit MetroGistics.